Re: [ga] The North American DNSO BoD chair

[Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>]

On Wed, Oct 13, 1999 at 10:10:19AM -0800, Ellen Rony wrote:
> >> >Yes.  I am motivated by the attempt by Karl to pack the nominations
> >> >by getting a large number of people to join the GA solely to support
> >> >him.
> >>
> 
> Well, fairness would suggest that you post similar letters sent out by
> other constituencies to flush out support for one or another candidate.

Ellen, you wouldn't know fairness if it bit you on the nose.  Please
note that someone else brought up the issue of election
irregularities, with respect to Rick White candidacy.  In FAIRNESS,
then, I pointed out that Karl Auerbach is just as guilty as anyone
supporting Rick White.  It was then amusing to watch the hypocrisy
flow as people rushed to the defense of their hero. 

> Karl's letter went out the *first* day of nominations to announce his
> potential candidacy.  Another letter to a different constituency list went
> out the *last* day of the nominations,, urging support for a last minute
> candidate.  You have selectively attacked one candidate without providing a
> full picture.   Your focus on Karl;s letter is a red herring.

This hypocrisy is just too rich: You say that *I* "selectively
attacked" one candidate, after going on about Rick White.  You say
that *I* am pushing a "red herring" -- you think whether the letter
went out on the first or the last day makes any difference? Moreover,
Karl's letter was a call for people to join the list just to support
him -- a practice earlier criticized as reprehensible, but now OK. 
It's also worth noting that Karl was treating the nomination as
a near-election -- he said, on the names list:

    "In all the open polls, I've been either the top vote getter or in
    second place by a close margin.  Nii Quanor and I are out front
    in the popular count by a significant margin."

This whole thread started because someone said that Karl's 
showing of support basically required the NC to elect him...so, 
while some thought they were merely nominating, clearly Karl and his 
supporters were treating it as an election, and were pulling in 
pseudo-voters, not nominators.

This process illustrates perfectly the danger of popular elections 
in a completely open membership organization -- they become a 
contest between those who can bring in the most outside voters, by 
whatever means.

For the record, BTW, I don't support Rick White.  No reflection on
him as a person -- I don't know him.

-- 
Kent Crispin                               "Do good, and you'll be
kent@songbird.com                           lonesome." -- Mark Twain